What is "culavedalla?"
A small text containing a set of questions and answers related to the development of skillful ethical qualities. The word is from Pali, the unique, ancient Indian language designed to transmit the knowledge of the Buddhist suttas. Is this a Buddhist site?
No. This site is non-sectarian and takes no position on religious or cultural beliefs. However, it does draw, in part, on the analytical or discriminating principles of self-observing empiricism underlying the dhamma expounded by Gotama 2500 years ago. This position, however, is a minimal one and functions only as a basis for further enquiry into skillful qualities that are agreeable to anyone and of benefit to all who may wish to use them.
What are the intentions of this site?
To draw together the voices of the wise. To discover unexpected dimensions of agreement within diverse frameworks of wise thought and action. To intuitively allow the intersection of multiple lines of reasoning.To sidestep the familiar coincidence of interaction.To encourage innovative gestures.To bring into reality a mind-scape of newly imagined horizons.
What is meant by "the wise?"
All sentient beings are "wise," in that each treasures its existence and retains a preference for its perpetuation. The most frequent means by which this is achieved is through mutually beneficial social interaction and orientation. It is, therefore, not only true that birds of a feather flock together, but also, in terms of survival, birds that flock together are wise to do so. Among human beings, reproducible language systems that have evolved from verbal and non-verbal means of social orientation, sometimes blur a coherent picture of what it is to be wise. In the truly primal, original sense of orientation towards a treasuring, a nurturing, a valuing of existence, that is only fully achievable in harmony with others. Hence, the wise are those among us who have faced the task of sharpening the picture, bringing focus to this mutually dependent drive to be "wise." Is this site something to do with sociology?
Yes, in the sense that it is "...concerning itself with the interpretive understanding of social action and thereby with a causal explanation of its course and consequences." This is a basic statement from the sociology of Max Weber. The "action" here is the meaning I attach to the things I do. It is "social," in that "I" must find that meaning in relation to the behaviour of others, so I orient myself, steering a course, and that course has consequences. How does this site help?
How I interpret and understand that relationship with others, the way it plays out, where its course takes me, how to improve its consequences, both for myself and for others, requires a set of skillful qualities, a toolkit for living. The suppliers of the right tools we call the wise. This site is designed to be like a shadowboard of wise tools: simply select and use.
